


Time For a New Beginning

by EverGrowingEverChanging



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-25 21:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16668640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverGrowingEverChanging/pseuds/EverGrowingEverChanging
Summary: Kodo Hayashi always loved to perform and learned from her dad about sleight of hand and misdirection. But sadly, not all dreams are meant to come true, so when becoming a Magician failed, she turned to JoJa for a job, something to pay the bills and to keep a roof over her head. After a couple years of working there, she finally had enough and needed a change in her life, one for the better, so she turned to the letter her Granpa gave her before he passed.Guess its time for a brand new start to a new Beginning, following in her Grandpa's footsteps and dropping everything to move to a new area and try again at life while also doing something new, becoming a Farmer.





	1. Need for Change

Standing in the middle of a busy plaza stood a rather short girl who looked to be in her late teens. Short and uneven dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a few strands sticking out. A simple and classic black magician hat rested on her head, that didn't seem to move no matter how much she moved. Despite the warm Spring weather, she wore a long-sleeved red dress shirt with a black vest and black ribbon instead of a tie. As well as black sleek pants and matching dress shoes with a small heel. Round green eyes wide and bright with a smile to match, arms and hands making fast but fluid motions to grab the attention of any and all onlookers as she continued with her routine. Her voice was clear and loud, easily carried through the crowd and over their own voices, grabbing their attention as she performed her next trick.  
  
"As much as I would love to stand here and perform all day, all good things must come to an end. So its time for one last trick. Nothing up my sleeves..."  
She rolled her sleeves up to her elbows and swayed her arms around for a brief moment, proving that she wasn't hiding anything before bringing attention to her hands, which were covered in a pair of black gloves that stopped right before her wrists. While the gloves weren't skin tight, it would be pretty difficult to hide much of anything in them unless it was paper thin.  
  
"But I must admit that I am hiding something in these gloves."  
Crossing her wrists in front of her, palms facing inward, she snapped her fingers and pointed her fingers upwards. Suddenly, there was a cascade of bright red rose petals fluttering around the whole plaza, falling down and swirling around the young performer. Slowly, relaxed her arms and held out her hands, catching some petals before giving a flick of the wrist, now holding a pair of bouquets. She tossed them out into the crow before giving a bow. She bowed her head, causing her magician hat to tip and fall off of her head and roll down her arm until she grasped the rim with her fingers at the end and flipped it back onto her head. The same petals, that were now on the ground, suddenly whirled upward and created a momentary cover for the girl to quickly scurry off, making sure to not leave her stuff behind this time.  
Once she was sure she was far enough, she stopped and sighed softly, a smile still gracing her face though it was more relaxed. "If I just keep this up, I'll be a real magician in no time! I'll have even larger crowds and they'll be there for me, have my own stage to perform on, a crew to help me really make a great show... Yeah... yeah! Future me, you're going to make it big someday!"

_A Few Years Later_

* * *

 

The sound of clicking, nails clacking against keys, and a hum from a heating and AC unit (that never seemed to work properly) filled the workspace. The lights bounced between being far too bright, often causing headaches combined with the constant hum of the AC unit, or too dim, making the glaring computer screen strain already tired eyes even more. With eyes half open, bloodshot and with heavy bags, Kodo let out a deep sigh and tried to focus on the screen that was right in front of her. She could clearly tell that there were words in front of her, but her eyes and brain simply would not cooperate, past their limit and demanding a break, preferably a nap. Frustration and annoyance quickly took over as she tried to force herself to continue working.

_Just another hour of this, then I can go home and nap... only to come back tomorrow and do this all over again..._

With a groan, Kodo leaned back into her cheap work chair, arm slung over her face and eyes shut. Her back creaked, muscles sore and stiff, and she swore she heard a few pops, that sort of thing just happens after being slouched forward for who knows how long. Slow deep breaths in and then out, just focusing on her own breathing and tuning everything else out. Once it was just her and her own thoughts, she began to truly think things over instead of just pushing them into the back of her head.

_Is this really living? Yes, it pays better than my old job but what's the point if I just feel as though I'm dead walking among the living? ...But if I go back to my old job, I'll be happy but for how long? How long until the stress of bills and needing to pay for food squeezes all of the joy out of my job and I'm stuck back in this same place of thought, just a different coat of paint? If I stay here, I don't have to worry about bills or food but I'll just feel like the walking dead. Getting a raise won't fix that... and getting a raise in this kind of job means nothing, it just chump change. Could work here my whole life and I'd be lucky to get paid a few bucks more than a newbie. But if I go back, I'd be my own boss and be doing something that I love, something I enjoy but at the cost of not having a steady income. No money means that I can't pay bills and it's only a matter of time before I'm out on the street... I didn't have to worry about this sort of stuff as a kid..._

Suddenly sitting up straight, eyes wide, Kodo remembered something. A memory that was tucked away into the back of her mind (like most of her thoughts that she didn't want to think about at the moment) forced its way out and to the front. With haste, she opened her desk drawer and rummaged around, cursing at herself under her breath about how she needs to get more organized, before finally pulling out a letter. It was a little old but still in (mostly) good condition. A letter her Grandpa gave her before he passed a few years ago... She stared at the letter for another moment before opening it.

_“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”_

Kodo read the letter over a few times before glaring at her computer screen, life back in her eyes. Its time for a bit of change.


	2. Pelican Town, a New Home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to stay as close as I can to how the actual game and story happen but I will have to change some things... like making the house a little bigger at the start (basically just adding in a small basic kitchen. Counter, Fridge, Microwave... basically like a college dorm kitchen). If I get any character's personality wrong, please feel free to let me know and what I could do instead.

Kodo initially thought that the whole process of quitting, moving, and all of the paperwork needed to gain ownership of land would take forever but it was honestly just a massive blur of events. If she thought hard enough, she could remember certain details and events but most of it happened so fast, she barely had time to even really take it all in. So here she was, sitting on the bus with a suitcase, a bag, and a small box full of everything she owned, on her way to Pelican Town. Things were slowly starting to sink in as she watched the trees go by, her leg bouncing away at a rather fast speed, it was a wonder that no one had told to stop... or maybe someone did and she just didn't hear them, too zoned out.

 It felt like hours before the bus finally came to a stop, lurching forward a bit for a moment before settling back. With a deep breath to steady herself, Kodo got up, grabbed her stuff, and exited the bus. Once out, there were several things she noticed. First, it was fucking bright out today, causing her to blink a little. Second, the air smelled and felt so weird, guess this is what true fresh air actually smelled like. That will take some getting used to. Finally, there were not one but two people waiting for her. Someone she vaguely remembered, so she guessed that was Mayor Lewis, and someone she had no idea who they were but they looked nice.

 "Ah, Kodo! Its great to see you, you've certainly grown a lot." Mayor Lewis gave a warm smile as he waved Kodo over. While he remembered her, Kodo only really had a few faint and vague memories of him, mostly because the last time she was here, she was probably still in grade school... and only visiting her gramps.

 Not wanting to be rude, she gave a smile back and nodded her head. Not entirely sure how one should even respond to that. "Y-yeah... Can we head over to the farm? I uh... I would love to set my stuff down so that we can catch up properly." Well, she wasn't completely lying. She really would love to set her stuff down, but some food and a nap sounded great too. That and she really didn't feel like opening up about her life story to him just yet.

 The woman that was standing beside Mayor Lewis seemed to see right through Kodo's statement and wore a faint smile. "I'm sure that you two can find time for that for another day. I think it would be best to let her get settled in first, unpack and look around the farm ~~if she can even move around all of the debris~~." Without giving the Mayor a chance to respond, she turned on her heels and started down a dirt path that split into two different directions, but she took the right path.

 Kodo glanced at the Mayor, who had a mildly annoyed look on his face, and gave him an awkward smile before jogging to catch up to the woman, who introduced herself as Robin. She mentioned something about fixing the house up a bit since some of the wood had rotted, things falling apart, and a few other things that Kodo tuned out once they reached the farm... or what she assumed was the farm anyway. There were trees and branches and rocks and weeds everywhere!

  _Clearing all of this will take me forever! ... I wonder if I can get by with just clearing a small section of this?_

 Robin must have noticed Kodo's stressed and overwhelmed expression since she gave a warm smile and handed her a scythe. "Things always seemed too overwhelming from the very start, but if you take things slow, bit by bit, what was once a big problem will quickly turn into something that's more manageable. Give it time, go at your own pace, you'll be fine. Its only day 1 after all."

 Mayor Lewis gave a hum and nod. "Just start with something small and simple and work your way up. Get yourself unpacked and maybe go introduce yourself to the town once you get the chance, or clear out a small space to get ready for your first crops. Its up to you on how you want to start things, because as of today, this farm now belongs to you and you're a part of this town." He gave a firm but welcoming pat to her shoulder before walking off.

 Robin mentioned something about her shop being just up the road and to come to see her if Kodo needed anything before leaving as well. Now it was just Kodo, taking in as much as she could. This was her farm now, her house, a new town, new people... so much debris...

 Taking a deep breath in and then out, Kodo glanced over to the house before entering. Take things one step at a time. Starting with unpacking.


	3. First Day in a New Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 of Spring-  
> So many things to do, so many people to meet, which will run out first, time or mental energy?

_Day 1 - Spring - 10:30 AM_

"Either I had more stuff than I thought, or this place is smaller than my apartment back in the city..." Kodo groaned as she looked around her new home, everything unpacked and put away... for the most part. Dresser is full of clothes with some still in the suitcase, all toiletry put away in the bathroom, farm work outfit set on top of the dresser, but personal items were still tucked into the small box she had brought with her. There wasn't much room for them at the moment though maybe getting a shelf built would solve that.

_So this leaves me with one of two options. I could either get to work on my field right away, since Mayor Lewis was kind enough to gift me with some free seeds, or I could go out into town and greet everyone I can... Greeting everyone would help me get an idea of the layout of the town sooner and I rather not do any hard labor during the middle of the day..._

Kodo thought it over for another moment before deciding on greeting the town folks. She grabbed her messenger bag and put her shoes back on before heading out. Maybe if she was lucky enough, she'd find some free stuff on the ground to sell.

Despite the years that had passed, Kodo's hair actually got shorter instead of longer. Hair that once reached her mid back now stopped right above her shoulders but it was the same color, even though she had thought of dying it many times before. She wore a [ruffled off the shoulder top](https://www.venus.com/viewproduct.aspx?BRANCH=7~63~&ProductDisplayID=55392&clr=RDMU&sc=XWEBSEM75&cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-_-Y86520-4-RDMU-_-BKT_M-UN&clid=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8TcG4sL32A4CSAZjx7YZIxDH9o2uOKzZj_PqLy6YIutYZB2R6oUdPoaAiKWEALw_wcB&hc_source=google&hc_medium=cpc&hc_campaign=UN_Mid&hc_term=Y86520-4-RDMU&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8TcG4sL32A4CSAZjx7YZIxDH9o2uOKzZj_PqLy6YIutYZB2R6oUdPoaAiKWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) that allowed her [floral tattoo](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/450644956101738526/513547107316137984/vlada-shevchenko-tattoos-4.png) to be seen on her left shoulder, black ripped jeans and a pair of ankle boots that zipped up with a small heel. This was something that she would wear just casually, never for something as hard labor like farm work. With how bright it is here though, maybe she should invest in a hat of some sort or sunglasses... or both.

Kodo followed the dirt path that lead to town and she paused when she stepped onto the cobblestone path. Looking around, it was clear to see that this wasn't a very big area but it did look nice. The grass just looked so green and alive and not fake either. There wasn't trash everywhere either nor did she see any weird or random stains or slime on the ground. Maybe she just had really low standers but this place looked great!

Up first, Kodo noticed a small set of stairs that looked like it lead to a small park and playground area, and just past the stairs was the first building. A clinic? Neat. It didn't look all that big but then again, with a town this small, there wasn't really a need for a huge clinic... Wait. Kodo took a closer look and noticed a board that gave the hours and she couldn't help but furrow her brows.

_3pm? Who closes at 3pm??? Especially a clinic?! Better hope that I don't do anything stupid after 3pm then or else I'm just shit out of luck... I am so boned._

Kodo was too lost in thought to notice that someone had left the clinic, which ended up causing her to jump and squeak when they spoke. Her shoulders jolted and her back straightened out, eyes going wide for a moment before she sighed and relaxed, cheeks now dusted with a faint pink hue.

"Uh... excuse me? Is something wrong?" The voice was definitely male but held this soft and sweet tone to it... and maybe a hint of awkwardness as well.

"O-oh, no. Was just thinking." Kodo shyly scratched at her cheek before nearly squeaking once she turned and saw the person who spoke to her. He was rather tall actually, causing her to crane her neck slightly to actually meet his eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of glasses. He had this mustache that would have looked terrible on most people but it somehow looked cute and charming on him. _Oh no, he's cute!_ "I actually just moved here today, the new farmer in fact. I'm Kodo." She stumbled over her words for a moment, making her statement feel a little robotic than naturally as if she was just reading her lines for the first time. But she did give him a warm smile though. Been a while since she had to introduce herself to someone.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice or mind her awkward statement. Either he was also just as awkward or she was just overthinking this way too much. "Ah! Mayor Lewis did mention that someone would be taking care of that old farm. I'm Harvey, I work at this clinic actually. If you are ever in need of some medical attention, please stop by." And with that, he gave a smile before retreating back into his clinic.

Kodo stared at the clinic for another moment before shaking her head and heading off to the next building. Thankfully it was right next door and it looked like a place she would be visiting a lot. Pierre's General Store. This time, she entered the building instead of just admiring the outside of it. Sure enough, it was like a general store. So many seeds, things for cooking like oil and flour, fertilizer, even a few bags that looked rather large.

"Oh hey! You must be the new farmer." A voice called out to her. There was a man standing behind the counter, giving a short wave at her and wearing a smile. Most smiles she had seen from those who worked behind a counter looked forced but this one only looked about half forced. He also had a pair of glasses and looked slightly aged, though that could just be stress wrinkles.

Walking up to the counter, Kodo looked around at what the store had in stock before giving her attention to the man, who she guessed to be the owner of the shop. "Yeah, I'm Kodo. I think its safe to assume that I'll be stopping by here rather often, huh?"

"I would hope so. The only other place you could get seeds would be either finding them in the ground... or from Joja Mart at the end of the road." His voice dipped down and sounded forced and tired when he mentioned Joja Mart. His brows furrowed and he seemed to be fighting off a scowl as well. She couldn't blame him at all though, even just hearing the name made her groan and shudder. Working for Joja felt like hell. Besides, if it's at the end of the road, it would just be closer to come here instead.

"I honestly don't plan on giving that corp a single cent." Kodo muttered with a side glance, her lips forming a small flat line before her attention was drawn to the sound of a door opening nearby. Out came a woman with green hair and one with purple hair. She blinked once, then twice. Yep, not seeing things. She honestly didn't think that a town like this would have people with dyed hair but hey, they look so cool. She flashed them a smile and waved.

"Pierre, is this the new farmer? Have you introduced yourself yet or did you forget about that from complaining about Joja Mart?" The woman with the green haired asked. Both Pierre and Kodo shuddered and groaned at the mention of Joja. Before he could say anything though, Kodo took a step towards the two women. Upon a closer look, she could see some sort of resemblance between them, so maybe mother and daughter?

"Oh yeah, totally. Pierre introduced himself and welcomed me to town and everything else." Kodo waved her hand a little, hoping that she just saved Pierre a moment of embarrassment. She had done the same a few times in her life honestly. "I'm Kodo by the way. Just moved in today in fact. Decided to walk around and meet everyone first, get settled in and all of that."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kodo~! I'm Caroline, you already met my husband, and this is my daughter, Abigail." Caroline introduced herself with a rather sweet smile before gesturing to her husband and then her daughter.

Abigail had some rather bright purple hair that just looked amazing and it really stood out against her pale skin, something that Kodo has as well though not on the same level. Her outfit was honestly everything that Kodo had ever wanted to dress like but just never had the money or confidence for. Abigail's eyes seemed to focus on Kodo's shoulder, where her tattoo was, before getting this giddy look on her face and leaned in a bit. "Is that really a tattoo?! It looks so cool! I always wanted to get my own actually. How long have you had it? Did it hurt? How long did it take to finish? Do you have more?" She rattled off question after question.

Kodo felt her cheeks slowly heat up and her once relaxed posture turned stiff. She was getting overwhelmed by questions but also because there was just this extremely pretty girl leaning in closer and closer. Was this entire town just full of cuties??? Just not fair. Not wanting to seem rude or award, Kodo just blurted out the first thing that came to mind... which was probably a dumb decision. "You're pretty! ... Oh no."

After that, Kodo's face just turned bright red, the heat radiating off of her face. Eyes wide and her posture frozen as the room was just silent. Needing to just leave the situation altogether, Kodo blurted out an apology and a goodbye before bolting out of the store and speed walking away, a hand clasped tightly over her mouth with the other fanning herself, hoping and needing the redness to go down quickly. 


	4. So Many People to Meet, not Enough Energy

"After that little embarrassing incident, Kodo just continued to speed walk, not sure where she was going but since the town wasn't that big, it wouldn't be possible for her to get lost. After a few minutes, she finally pulled her hand away and sighed, her face no longer feeling hot though her cheeks were still a slight pink in hue.

_Great, I'm going to be thinking about that event for the next few years... Maybe if I'm lucky, no one else will remember it._

"Hey! Heads up!" A voice called out, slightly frantic.

Kodo brought her attention to the direction the voice came from, only to immediately see the reason for the warming. A gridball coming straight for her. With all of her training that came from high school dodgeball and prison ball, Kodo did what she did best during those games, duck and cover her head. Despite being a few years out of practice, the ball thankfully flew right over her head and smacked against the wall of a nearby building, with a solid thud.

Slowly, she stood back up, looking at the ball that lay on the ground before sighing, shoulders slumping slightly. She couldn't help but shudder at a memory from her grade school years. Kids playing catch and a young version of herself not having the best reflexes. Thankfully, that was then, and this is now.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Are you ok?!"

Two voices called out to her, both male for sure. Glancing over, Kodo saw two males jogging over to her, one who looked like a stereotypical jock (and she prayed that he only looked like one, not acted like one as well) and the other looked like that trope of a high schooler who is always playing guitar and dressed like a rocker.

_... Maybe I'm more judgemental than I thought..._

With a shrug, she picked up the gridball and tossed it back over to them, the one in the green jacket catching it with ease. She waved her hand a little, a small smile on her face. "I'm fine, no harm done." While most would have been angry, Kodo didn't honestly care that much. It was just an accident after all and nothing bad happened. Besides, it's her first day here and the last thing she wants to do is to just yell and lash out at her new neighbors.

"Oh wait, are you the new farmer? I'm Sam and that's Alex." Sam, the one with blonde hair, smiled warmly, a toothy grin. He just had this carefree and cheerful energy around him... too bright. It's like looking at the sun.

"You're the new girl huh? Well, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Maybe next time, Sam will actually catch the ball instead of having you duck out of the way." Alex grinned and jabbed his thumb towards Sam direction, who gave a gasp, a hand over his heart mocking offense.

This actually earned them an honest chuckle and grin from Kodo, though she tried to hide it by glancing away and using her hand to cover her mouth. "I'm Kodo and yeah. I wouldn't want to bother the Doctor when I just moved in here."

"Oh you mean Uncle Doctor? Nah, he's pretty chill. I'm sure he wouldn't be annoyed if you visited his clinic."

"Uncle Doctor?" Kodo mumbled, blinking a few times before a grin slowly found its way onto her face. That was just oddly cute. "I hate to cut this short but I still got tons to do. Hopefully, the next time we meet, it won't be because I had to dodge a missed toss." Without waiting for a response, Kodo gave some finger guns as she walked backward before turning on her heel and jogging away. While they were both very nice, talking to strangers just drains her a little too quickly, and she still had so many others to meet... maybe it would be better to split this into a few days.

_Alright, I'll head to the beach, meet anyone who's there and then head back to the farm. I'll greet anyone who I happen to run into but I won't go out of my way... I wish I had a list of everyone that I need to greet, that would make this so much easier._

The sun was at about its highest, meaning it was around noon now and Kodo could feel the heat. Granted it wasn't too hot but she made a mental note to stock up on sunscreen. Once she was over the bridge, the beach came into view and it made her gasp. The waves gently crashed against the sand, there was a light breeze and the gulls cried out above her head and from around her. The last time she was at a beach, was when she was still in the city back in her school years... and that beach was just full of garbage everywhere.

Walking closer to the water, Kodo took note of two people standing on the dock. Before she checked that out though, she looked around the beach for a bit. There seemed to be another part of the beach that wasn't accessible because of a broken wooden bridge. She made a mental note to get that fixed since there were ample trees on her property. There was also a small cabin by the water with a broken small ship next to it. The cabin, though small, did look rather homey... from the outside anyway.

_Ok, no more stalling._

Making her to the dock, she noticed what looked like a Bait and Tackle Shop. While she was never really one for fishing, maybe that will change... maybe. She then brought her attention over to the two men who seemed to be chatting. Both looked rather tall though one looked far older than the other. One had long orangish hair, giving her young Fabio vibes, while the other looked like a stereotypical fisherman.

Right when she stepped onto the deck, causing it to creak under her added weight, both men paused their conversation and turned to face her. Kodo held back a squeak and gave a shy smile and wave, not really expecting that to happen. "O-oh uh... hey, I'm the new farmer, Kodo, I just moved in today. Thought I uh... go around town and introduce myself."

The Fabio look alike just wore this charming smile and sauntered over to her, the light breeze catching his hair. Oh gods above, this isn't fair. That's 5 people already that look amazing. Cute? Handsome? AAAA

"Ah! The new farmer, we were actually just about you or well... the fact that the old farm was going to get a makeover anyway. I'm Elliott and I live in that cozy little cabin over there. It's a pleasure to meet you~!" Elliott just wore this sweet and warm smile and he even held out his hand for Kodo to shake.

She held back a squeak but her cheeks did heat up slightly. This was so not fair. Still, she shook his hand and tried to smile as normal and natural as she could. "Y-yeah, it's nice to meet you. It'll probably take a while before I make the farm look nice, its kind of... overgrown a bit." She glanced over to the side for a moment, remembering just how messy and cluttered the farm was. Weeds and rocks and branches everywhere... One step at a time.

The other man simple stayed back, as if he was waiting for the conversation to be over so that he could go back to chatting with Elliott... or maybe Kodo was just overthinking, again. Elliott took note of his friend hanging back and decided to introduce himself for him. "That's Willy, he runs the Bait and Tackle shop, and he's a pretty good fisherman too. If he gets a really good harvest of crabs, he hands them over to Guss and we get crab cakes for the next few days. Oh! Guss owns and works at the Saloon, it gets pretty lively in the evening, especially on Friday."

Kodo tried to keep a mental note of what Elliott was telling her. It took her a moment but Kodo finally noticed that she had let go of Elliott's hand yet, causing her to squeak and pull her hand back, stuttering out an apology. "I-I-I think its time that I start heading back now actually. So much to do and the day is already halfway over." As she spoke, she slowly backed up before waving and turning on her heel, jogging away.

Maybe one of these days, she'd learn how to actually talk to people... maybe.


	5. Starting the Farm (finally)

There were still so many people to meet but Kodo needed to get started on her farm sooner rather than later... or really get started on turning that forest into a farm. All she needed, for now, was just a small patch, enough room for some crops. Close to that small pond and to her home, simple as that.

Kodo began to mentally map out some ideas for her farm, muttering to herself a bit. A simple 5x3 to start with... or maybe instead of using all 15 seeds right away, she should split them up into three separate harvests? But then what crops should she grow after that? Cant just grow one thing and nothing else. Which crop would get her the most profit back the quickest? Or maybe which crop would the town's folk like the most? Her mind started to just bounce around from idea to idea, trying to plan for bridges that were so far ahead, they hadn't even spawned in yet. Day 1 and yet she is already trying to plan for everything for the next few seasons. Its a wonder that she doesn't drink... yet.

She was so lost in thought, just letting her body go into autopilot, that she didn't even realize that she took the lower route back home until she heard mooing and heard the crunching of grass under her feet instead of the clacking from cobblestone. Sure enough, she was right outside a small ranch, that housed some cows and... chickens? She couldn't see them but she swears she can hear the clucking. Crossing her arms, she leaned onto the fence and just watched the cows graze for a moment.

It dawned on her that at some point, she'd probably have her own farm animals to take care of as well. Which sounded like a lot of yet but also kind of fun. She always did want to raise her own chickens, have fresh eggs for breakfast or baking almost every day, that would be nice and far more affordable.

Before her brain could go into overdrive again, she pushed herself off and away from the fence and sped walked to her farm, trying to focus on just one task at a time. However, a small issue made itself known right when she entered the property... it was going to be a bit of an uphill fight just to reach her farmhouse with all of these weeds and fallen branches in the way.

"I really did not want to work in my casual clothes but I don't want to have to walk all the way back around either. I just need a path, nothing more nothing less... And no one is here, why am I talking to myself out loud?"

Equipping her scythe, she looked it over for a moment before humming. She had always wanted to use one, sometimes its just the simple things that can bring pleasure. The blade made quick and easy work against the weeds, hacking them away as she slowly made her way through the mess and towards her farmhouse, using her ax or pickaxe every now and again. It did take a little longer than she thought but at least she got some free wild seeds and lumber out of it. Even some coal... if only she had a place to store this stuff... oh well. She could make a chest later.

Heading inside, she removed her shoes and set them by the door before grabbing her work clothes and gloves. It was time to get dirty and use some real elbow grease. A straw hat to help keep the sun out of her eyes, a long sleeved shirt, overalls, thick gloves to help protect the hands, and work boots. The outfit was far from cute but it wasn't really supposed to be fashionable, to begin with. Though the straw hat did look nice. Enough dilly dally, time to work.

_A few hours later_

* * *

 

Kodo knew that farming wasnt easy, it was mostly simple and straightforward but hard work, but maybe it was harder than she thought... that or she was just really bad at it. She had taken a moment to decide on where she wanted to start the first field and ended up picking the spot right between her house and the small pond. After that came the clearing and hoeing, which was more labor inducing than her body was used to. Hopefully, that wouldnt be a problem for long. Thankfully, the planting was the easiest part and she ended up doing all 15 parsnip seeds right away. A simple but neat 5x3, neat little rows, evenly spaced (for the most part), all seeds planted and watered. She even made a scarecrow... after looking up and watching a few videos on how but she did it. It wasn't anything nice or fancy but if it did its job, thats all she needed. Besides, she could always spruce it up later.

With the sun starting to set, Kodo looked around her and just sighed. So much time had passed and yet it feels like she wasted it all. She didn't meet everyone in town, didn't even fully explore the town either, barely got a dent into the mess that is her farm, and took her until sundown to just plant her first crops... Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Normally, she would have easily stayed up for far longer, naturally a night owl, but with all of the physical labor, her body just felt so heavy. Falling into her old habits of talking to things that couldn't speak back, she spoke to the crops and her scarecrow, wishing them a good night before heading inside her small but actually rather cozy little farmhouse. A quick meal and hot shower later, and she could no longer resist flopping onto her plush bed.


	6. A Library and Empty Museum

_Day 2 - Spring - 6:00AM_

An alarm rang loudly next to Kodo's ear, startling her awake. Jolting up from her bed, she groaned and rubbed her eyes before glancing at the time. The sun had only just started to climb up, barely reaching her windows.

_6am? Who wakes up at 6am?! ... Oh, right, I do now._

Reluctantly, Kodo pulled herself up and out of bed before heading to the restroom. Looking into the mirror, Kodo was greeted by her own reflection, eyes only half way open and hair an absolute mess. Grasping a few strands, she looked it over in the mirror before sighing. Maybe she should get a haircut soon, her hair was starting to get just a little too long for her own liking. But right now, she needs to wake up before she can really do much of anything, nothing a quick hot shower can't fix.

One shower and some breakfast later, Kodo was feeling much better and more awake. Grabbing her hat and boots, Kodo left her farmhouse and made her way over to her crops. Little saplings were starting to poke out from the dirt and it looked like all 15 seeds were still here. Kodo couldn't help but just crouch down and gasp, eyes wide as she looked over the sprouting plants. A nice grin on her face too.

"Oh my... look at you guys~! Just one day and you're already growing... ooooooo you're going to be fresh delicious parsnips in no time... I'm a farmer... this is really happening..." Slowly, Kodo stood back up before giggling to herself and flapping her hands a little. Who knew that something so simple and small could make her this happy?

Turning to her scarecrow, Kodo sighed softly. "I should give you a name... you are doing a great job, after all, not a single seed missing... I really need to make friends." Kodo mumbled the last bit to herself before clapping her hands together, an idea popping into her head. "I know! I'll call you Edgar. Perfect~"

Satisfied with her idea, Kodo grabbed her watering can and began to water her crops, humming a soft tune to herself. Her first field of crops and so far, they were doing great! Maybe becoming a farmer wasn't a bad idea after all.

In no time, every last sapling was watered and her watering can was filled back up. Still needing to greet the rest of the town, Kodo got changed and left her farm with a bit of a skip in her step. Though she made sure to wave goodbye to Edgar before she left.

_Alright, there was a whole side of town that I hadn't checked out yet, as well as the area north... I'm pretty sure uhhhh Robin? Yeah, Robin! I'm pretty sure she said that she lived north of town... Ok, first I check out the other side of town, then I'll swing up north, yeah. That's the plan for today._

However, Kodo needed to stop by Pierre's shop first, not a detour since it's on the way. Entering the store, Kodo hummed as she looked up and down the aisles, still not sure on what crop she should by next... or maybe she should buy two of everything? Did she even have the money for that though? Reaching into her bag, Kodo pulled out a small notepad and began to write down what Pierre had and for how much. As she wrote things down, she would mumble under her breath and sometimes chew on her lip in thought.

Pierre certainly had a large variety of items that she could buy, and this was only Spring too. Crossing her arms, she shut her eyes and began to plan things out in her head as well as use Math. She only had 500 gold to work with and that wasn't exactly a whole lot to work with.

Well, she did have some wild seeds she found, so she didn't need to buy all 15 seeds right away... With a hum, she nodded before grabbing what she needed. 3 green bean seeds and their trellises, 3 cauliflower seeds, and 3 tulip seeds. That's 9 right there, so she'd fill the other 6 spots with the wild seeds she found.

Sadly, this took almost all of her money, leaving her with just 20 gold. With a sigh and slumped shoulders, Kodo just accepted that and went over to the counter to pay.

"Your second day and you're already buying seeds? Did the crows get to your crops already?" Pierre asked as he rang her up. He seemed slightly concerned.

"Huh? Oh no, not at all. I'm just planning ahead. Just in case you're closed when I need seeds." Kodo waved her hand a little but smiled. It was nice to have someone feel concern for her... or her crops really.

"Most would have just gone to Joja if I was closed. I can't really blame them though." Pierre sighed and his shoulders slumped a little, though he did grumble something under his breath, brows knitted together.

"Oh please, after working for that corp, you couldn't pay me enough to set foot in their mart. Besides, their marts just make me feel uncomfortable. It's too cold, there's this constant annoying hum of the fan, and the lights are way too bright, gives me headaches."

"You too?! I told my wife the same thing when she had me go visit them to make them 'feel welcomed'. She just thought that I was overreacting or just trying to nitpick over every little thing... I mean I kind of was but that's beside the point!"

Kodo just laughed and nodded. "I get you. Anyway, would love to stay and talk shit about Joja but I got things to do today. Maybe some other time. Thanks for the seeds." Grabbing her items, she gave a nod and waved to Pierre as she left.

"Come by the Saloon on Friday, we can talk shit all night if you want." Pierre called out, looking a little too eager to vent his frustrations out to someone.

"Sounds like a plan~!" Kodo grinned and laughed a little before heading out, her bag full of seeds now. She really needs to get a larger bag soon. She found the bridge that would take her to the other side of town and crinkled her nose when she saw the Joja Mart. She wasn't even in the store and yet she swore she could hear that stupid humming fan. Shaking her head, Kodo ignored the store and turned her attention to the two other buildings on this side of the town. The first one she saw looked to be made of cobblestone and bricks, with a pipe coming out of it. Next to it, she also saw what looked like an old mine cart.

Walking over, she looked around the old cart and shook it a little. Didn't budge. Pursuing her lips, she hummed and made a mental note about it. Maybe she could find a way to get it up and running again? That would be pretty cool.

Dusting her hands off, she turned back to the building and entered. There were an anvil and furnace in the back, so this must be the blacksmith. Looking around, she noted that the place was rather small and it seemed as though that the owner lived here as well. That seemed to have been the case for Pierre's shop too. Finally, someone came out from the back. It was a tall male who had a bit of a beer gut, as well as a beard and mustache.

"O-oh uh... are you the new farmer?" He asked, walking behind the counter and rubbing the back of his neck. Didn't seem like he was prepared for anyone to enter his shop.

"Yeah, I'm Kodo. I moved here yesterday actually."

He gave a nod and the room just became very quiet right after that. This is what happens when two socially awkward people share the same room.

Clearing her throat, Kodo tried to make some form of conversation. "So... uh..." Attempt failed. Abort mission, now. "It was nice meeting you." And with that, Kodo sped walked out of the building and over to the next one.

Rolling her shoulders back, Kodo sighed before gasping and jumping slightly. The next building was a library! Grinning, she excitedly clapped her finger tips together, bouncing on her toes a little before entering. She made sure to keep quiet though, it _is_ a library after all. While it wasn't a huge place, it still held a lot of books... as well as some empty tables? Did this use to be something else?

Relaxing, she took in a deep breath and sighed, it smelled like books alright. Libraries always did feel like a second home to her. Looking over, she noticed a man sitting behind a desk, looked like he was working on paperwork. He wore a blue hat and coat, and had a dark goatee... looked rather nice on him actually.

Sensing someone had entered the place, he looked up from his papers and stared at Kodo for a moment before smiling. "Well, hello there! So you're the new farmer everyone's been talking about? The name's Gunther. Pleasure to meet you, miss." He greeted her, even tipping his hat slightly.

Oh no, he's a southern gentleman!

Kodo felt her cheeks heat up to a faint pink but she tried to ignore that. Instead, she smiled back and gave a faint nod. "Yeah, I'm Kodo... Um, if you don't mind me asking, did this use to be something else?" She asked, glancing over at the empty display tables.

Getting up from behind the desk, he walked around and gestured for her to follow him. "Actually yes, this used to be a museum, owned by someone else. However, one day, he just left, took all of the artifacts with him too. These tables used to be filled with so many different items, now they're just empty..." His voice dipped down slightly and he held his hands behind his back but didn't look at the empty tables.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I would have loved to have seen all of them..." A frown found its place on Kodo's face as she looked over the empty tables before the gears in her head started to turn. She gave a soft hum before glancing over at Gunther. "Well I heard that there are mines nearby, I'm sure they'll be some minerals or artifacts in there. If I find any, I'll be sure to bring them over here for you~!"

There was a brief moment of shock on his face before it vanishes, back to his natural expression. "The mines aren't exactly a safe place you know. I do greatly appreciate the offer though."

Kodo simply shrugged, her stubborn nature kicking in. She had a plan now, no use in trying to get her to back down from it. "I'm well aware of that. I'm not going to go in blind and unarmed, I'm impulsive, not stupid. Just trust me on this. Before Spring of next year, I am going to fill this area at least halfway." She puffed out her chest slightly and grinned, a certain look in her eye. Yeah, no backing her out of this now.

As if he could sense her stubbornness, Gunther only sighed and shook his head, waving his hand slightly. "Alright. Just try not to visit Harvey's clinic on a daily basis... And thank you, miss." With a tip of his hat, he smiled at her before returning to his desk to work.

"You're really going to go into the mines?!" A young voice asked, startling Kodo. Kids, they sneak up on you sometimes. Turning around, she saw not one but two young kids. One boy with a striped shirt, and a girl in a purple dress. There was also a young woman in a yellow blouse, standing a bit of away from Kodo.

Puffing her chest out again, Kodo smirked and nodded. "Of course! Someone has to fill these empty tables. Besides, I always wanted to explore caves and mines, brings me back to my younger years." Kodo had some short memories of playing games like LOZ and Pokemon, good old days.

"But if you get hurt? Or worse? Who will help you if you go alone?" The young girl asked, causing the woman to gasp and quickly cover her mouth with her hands, a look of shock on her face.

"Morbid little thing, aren't you?" Kodo muttered under her breath before shrugging. "If that happens, it happens. That's why I'll come prepared and try not to do anything stupid." Kodo then glanced over to the woman and offered her a smile. "I don't think we've met yet actually. I'm Kodo, the new farmer."

There was this brief pause, the woman shifting her weight from foot to foot before one of the kids spoke. "That's miss Penny! She teaches us every Tuesday and Friday."

"Yeah, she's really nice and takes us to the playground and even the forest sometimes for field trips~!"

The kids seemed excited to sing Penny praise, though Penny herself would blush and squeak, shying away from the attention. Oh no, she's cute!

"Well I think it would best if I don't keep you from learning then. It was nice to meet you all." With a smile and nod, Kodo excused herself and left the library. She still needed to go north to say hi to Robin, though now she also had to check out the mines.


	7. To the Mines!

With no other real direction except for 'North', Kodo adjusted her bag on her shoulder before heading up. She glanced over at the broken and old mine cart, wishing that it worked since she was sure that would have taken straight to the mines, before continuing on. As she neared Joja Mart, Kodo tried to keep her eyes off and away from the place, though this lead to her bumping into someone as she wasn't exactly watching where she was going.

She stepped back, nearly losing her balance before quickly giving out an apology but paused once she saw how annoyed the man was... who also looked like he was already halfway into a coffin. Smelled like it too... or maybe that was just booze. "O-oh sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you... I'm Kodo, the new far-"

He cut her off with a groan. "Whatever. I don't even know you, so why are you talking to me?" And with that, he continued on walking, straight into the Joja Mart, where she assumed he worked. Kodo stood there, blinking as she took in what just happened before huffing and rolling her eyes.

"Well fuck you too buddy." She grumbled, her nose crinkled and eyes narrowed. She might have left the city, but that encounter made it feel like she had never left. Shaking her head, she tried to shake out the anger and continued on North.

Today is going to be a good day, 1 asshole wasn't going to change that! ... Hopefully anyway.

Crossing the bridge, Kodo climbed up the stairs and smiled at the sight before her. Sure enough, she was right. The area just above the town looked like a playground... but there was also this old looking building. Locked and falling apart. Guess this town had tons of stuff that needed fixing. The broken bridge at the beach, the empty museum, the mine carts, and bus... and now this building.

Kodo simply stared at the building before shuddering. It felt like something was calling out to her... or maybe the sun was getting to her.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Kodo made her way over to the door and paused for a moment. The place looked so old and rundown like no one had been in it for years. Falling apart and making weird sounds. Grasping the handle, she pulled, then tried to push. Nothing, the door wouldn't budge either way.

"Dammit! Stupid locks. I wanted to go exploring." She grumbled, stuffing her hands into her pockets before going on her merry way. Oh well, at least there were still the mines that she could explore, just have to get there.

After a little more walking, Kodo spotted a rather large and nice looking house built beside a cliffside. Someone could just walk off the cliff and straight onto their roof... that's honestly something that she would do.

Hopefully this time, the door won't be locked. Entering the place, she was immediately greeted by Robin, who stood behind a counter. Guess she worked from home. Robin smiled at Kodo and walked out from behind her counter. "Kodo~! Its great to see you. Was starting to think that you forgot where I lived and I would have had to come to you first."

Kodo gave a sheepish smile and shyly scratched her cheek. "Yeah, kind of got drained from greeting so many people yesterday actually. I don't even know how many more I got to meet though."

"Well who have you met already?"

"Oh boy, I hope I don't butcher their names. Let's see, obviously you and Mayor Lewis, Pierre, his wife and daughter, Alex, Sam, Elliott, Willy, Gunther, Vincent, Jass and uhhhhhhhhhhh I think that's it." Kodo started to count off of her fingers before just kind of staring off into space as her mind blanked, trying to think of any other names but got nothing. "Oh! Wait, I didn't get his name but I bumped into this guy on my way up here, think he works at Joja. He was an ass, smelled like one too."

"That would be Shane."

"Neat."

"Well that is most of the town, sure if you swing by the Saloon on Friday, you'll meet everyone else. In the meantime, let me introduce you to my family. Well, if I can get them out of their respective caves." She mumbled the last bit but Kodo caught it, making her chuckle a little.

She completely understood having your own 'cave'. Was kind of how she lived most of her life. Kodo rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited for Robin to return. As she waited, she couldn't help but just look around, before spotting what looked like a science lab. Her eyes light up and she gasped before entering, making sure to keep her hands behind her back as to not touch or break anything. Most of what she saw went over her head, but seeing all of data, reports, test tubes, beakers, it all just sparked excitement and awe into her. She wanted to know what all of this meant and was for.

"Woah."

"Interesting, right?" A voice asked, startling Kodo. She squeaked and jumped, quickly turning around to see Robin had returned with a man, she assumed her husband, and what she assumed were her two kids, a son and daughter.

"Y-y _ea_ h." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat quickly. "Yeah. I don't get any of it but it looks like a lot of time and work was poured into it all." She gave a smile before slowly shuffling out of the room.

"Is something wrong Kodo?" Robin asked, arms crossed. Though it seemed like her husband and daughter already knew, while the son looked like he didn't want to be there at all.

"Oh! No, not at all, I just don't want to accidentally break anything. I'm kind of clumsily at the worst possible time." Once she was comfortable with the distance between her and the breakable stuff, Kodo relaxed and sighed softly. "A-anyway, where I'm from, its considered rude to ask for someone's name without introducing yourself first. So, I'm Kodo. I think its safe to assume that I'll be heading up rather often, huh?"

"If you plan on having anything built on that farm, then you'll want to seek out my wife. Her workmanship is amazing! She built this house in fact." The husband seemed to just honestly gush about his wife's work. It was adorable.

"Really?! This place looks better built than any of my old homes... I'm jealous now." Kodo gave a pout before glancing at the daughter and son. The daughter easily looked younger, was probably only 18, 20 at the most. The son on the other hand, yeah no, she wasn't going to try to guess his age. The bags under his eyes just age him up by at least 5 years.

"I'm Maru, I often help my dad with his research or work on my own. I build robots actually."

"Wow what?! No way dude, that's awesome. I remember when I tried to make my own robot..."

"Really? How'd it go? What'd it do?"

"Oh dear. I am about to ruin any positive assumption you might have of me. Uhh I think the best way to sum it up would be 'I was so preoccupied with whether or not that I could do it, that I didnt stop to think if I should'. And to go into slightly more but still vague detail, I might have created a knife-wielding tentacle that I couldn't shut off without getting stabbed by my own army knife. So yeah, it went well."

There was just this pause before the son snorted and tried to hold in his laughter. "How'd you do something so stupid?"

"Sebastian!"

"Nah nah, I deserve that. But I mean, there are tons of different forms of stupidity, and I usually test the limit of that. I mean, I plan on going into the mines, which are apparently very dangerous."

"Wait what?! Why?"

"Uh because I'm stupid? Thought we established this already? That and I kind of ran my mouth off around a couple of kids and since I know I'll be seeing them again because this town is so small, I can't really back down. I have some pride left... some."

They all just kind of groaned and shook their heads. Day 2 and already Kodo had disappointed 4 people, all at once too, that has to be a new record.

"Whelp, I'll let you all go back to your caves. I got stuff to do and things to explore." With a wave, Kodo left their home and made a mental note to come by again and write down how much Robin was charging for the buildings. She might be getting a coop one of these days... hopefully before the end of Spring anyway.

It was just a small treck up the mountain before Kodo reached what she hoped was the mine... only to be stopped by a giant boulder.

"Oh come on!"

"Sorry Miss but you're going to have to wait."

Kodo squeaked and felt her face turn red. Someone was on the other side of the boulder and they heard her outburst.

_... Wait, if someone was on the other side, then that means there must be a way over there!_

She saw the lake and stared at it for a moment, extremely tempted before looking back at the large boulder.

_Preferably one that doesn't involve having to take a swim._

Normally, she would have just climbed over it, but since there was a guy on the other side working on it, she'd most likely get scolded, for obvious reasons. There were plenty of trees around but none that gave her a clear route... that and if she did go into the mines, she'd probably end up too tired to climb a tree to get back home. Guess it was the waiting game after all. Dammit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Quick, no hate towards Shane, I genuinely love the adorkable chicken man. But when you do first meet him, he is a bit of an ass and Kodo has only seen that part of him


	8. Plan B

With her hands in her pockets, Kodo trudged away from the giant rock and tried to think of something else that she could do to pass the time. It was only the start of Spring and yet, the Valley just looked so amazing. Blooming flowers, petals everywhere, birds singing, green healthy grass, it was honestly hard to stay bummed surrounded by all of this. It wasn't long before her frown turned into a grin, she even chuckled a little. That boulder was just a minor set back and it will be gone eventually, no issue.

It wasn't long before Kodo found herself back in front of that run down building, head tilted and arms crossed, a sigh leaving her lips. There just seemed to be so many things to explore and investigate in this valley, that or she was just easily entertained and engaged.

Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and just began to head back to her farm, until she noticed a new face. It was a woman with blonde hair, just relaxing by the fountain. Might as well introduce herself, since she still needed to meet the rest of the town.

"Oh hey, I'm Kodo. I'm the new farmer."

The woman glanced over at Kodo and looked her up and down before offering a certain smile. Kodo just immediately had a flashback to high school, just from that smile. "Hey, I'm Haley. You know, you'd actually look kind of cute if it wasn't for that outfit.

Kodo just narrowed her eyes slightly, smile turning into a flat line. "Last I checked, I didn't ask for your opinion." Her tone was flat and she huffed out hot air from her nose afterward, trying to get rid of her anger. Guess there would always be people like that no matter where you go. Not wanting to hear a response, Kodo just brushed past Haley, steps heavy but quick.

_The nerve of her! I just say 'Hi' and she immediately calls out my outfit. Guess someone didn't grow up past 12... Is my outfit really that bad?_

Kodo actually paused for a moment, thinking it over for a moment before shaking her head and stomping away. Nope, she was a grown woman, long past high school, no way was she going to let the opinion of some stranger get to her! ... And yet the more she tried to ignore it, the more it bothered her.

It wasn't long before Kodo found herself just outside of town, and she was at the entrance of the forest. There was a river that turned into a rather large lake, and there seemed to be boards that would allow her to cross over. With a hum, she just followed the river, making sure to pick up anything that she found. It wasn't long before she spotted something off in the distance. It looked like a tower.

With an excited gasp, she perked up and jogged over and sure enough, there was a rather tall tower on the hilltop. "Wow." Climbing the steps, she craned her neck up before attempting to open the door... Locked.

"Oh come on!" She threw her arms up in frustration and huffed. "Is there anything interesting in this town that I can actually do?!" Yes, this town is very small, probably has less than 20 people living here, but she just felt so frustrated that anytime something cool appeared, it was just blocked off.

Grumbling to herself, Kodo slinked away and just went further into the forest. However, once she found the edge, she just stared off into the ocean, hoping that the beautiful scene would cool her off. It was only day 2 here, there is really no need to get this frustrated... Is... Is that a giant mouse?

Kodo stared at the abandoned house, that seemed to have a rather large (but still cute) mouse setting up shop in it. She blinked a few times, still there. She then rubbed her eyes and the mouse was gone. Maybe she was just seeing things?

"Hi~! What's your name?"

"AAAA!" Kodo jumped and screamed before quickly covering her mouth. It was the mouse, who somehow disappeared and then reappeared right in of her. It stood on two legs and reached just under her chest, so it had to crane its neck up to look at her. It smiled and flicked its tail, ears twitching.

"'AAAA' yourself, but that doesn't answer my question silly."

"... O-oh I uh... I'm Kodo."

"Well it's nice to meet you Kodo~ Would you like to buy a hat?"

"I uh... sure. What kind do you have?"

"None~! I haven't even opened up shop yet."

"... Then why did you-"

"But its so nice to know that I'll have my first customer once I do~! Ooooo you're going to just _love_ the hats that I get!" The mouse stood on her toes and wagged her tail, pressing her paws to her cheeks as she smiled brightly. She seemed so excited and happy, there was no way Kodo could turn her down now.

"Y-yeah, I'll be sure to come by here when you get some hats. Promise."

"I'll be sure to send you a letter. Anyway, I need to get back to work if I want to open up shop anytime this year. I hope you have a safe trip back home, Kodo!" The little mouse waved goodbye before scampering off to her home? shop?

Kodo just stood there, still trying to process what happened before sighing, a tired smile on her face now. Maybe it was time to just head home, take a shower and just pass out on the bed... Yeah, that sounded nice.

With a full bag, Kodo adjusted the strap before heading home... again making sure to grab anything along the way. Hey man, its free stuff. However, there was a small problem. Kodo usually took the East route to get out of her farm, but now that she was in the forest, she was taking the South route to get back in and uh... it was a little cluttered. Rocks, branches, boulders, giant stumps, trees, and weeds, everywhere.

Whelp, it was a good thing that she brought some of her tools with her... not all of them but her Scythe and PickAxe should at least be enough to get her to her farmhouse... hopefully. And if not, its a long way back to go all the way around.

_Way Longer Than it Should Have Taken_

Tired, sweaty, and slightly annoyed, Kodo finally made it to her farmhouse. While it was incredibly annoying to have to get through all of that, she did at least get some stuff out of it. Like some rocks, even a few pieces of coal and a geode, mostly fiber but a few more mixed seeds. Free seeds meant less money she had to spend. Now Kodo wasn't a cheapskate, but she didn't have a lot of money left to work with, so the less she had the spend now, the better.

Taking the material and seeds, she stored them into a chest she made yesterday and threw everything else into the shipping bin. It probably wouldn't get her much but hey, anything was better than being left with 20 gold. All that was left for her to do was to take a shower, eat some dinner, and just pass out. 


End file.
